The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-27
READING FOR THE DAY.
Sunday school Lesson for March 6, 1887.

Sunday School Lesson for March 6, 1887.
ABRAHAM OFFERING IsAAc-Gen xii, LA
Golden Text-God will provide himself o lamb for
burnt offering.-Gen. xxi, g.
The fact that God called upon Abraham to
make human sacrifice, and that sacrifice his
own son, has suggested serious difficulties to
many students of the Bible. Very much OF the
trouble has come from the fact that they have
started out by throwing away Gods own key
word of the passage. and then. in the outcome,
failing to see that this great objectlesson did
forever remove from that people the belief in
human sacrifice, and that it was largely in
tended for this purpose, and designed to show
that such sacrifices do not please God The
difficulty solves itself if you follow the clew, if
you use the key-word here given. What did
God do? ssGod did tempt Abraham" What
did the word translated tempt" then mean? The
original root idea of the word is a means of
delicate careful tasting of food to determine its
quality. Afterward it was used of any means
that determined the strength or soldity of
thing. But objects so often failed IL the testing
that the word came to be associated with the
breaking and destroying of the thing tested.
Then it was transferred to moral objects. and
anything that brought to light evil qualities was
called temptation. A tempting was an intent
to break down or corrupt But we have here
the original meaning of the word. and God
proving his noblest qualities. that fitted him to
be the great leader and example of believers for
twenty centuries, until the perfect Man should
come. The cables that are to hold great anchors
or sustain great bridges are subject to great
strain. So Abraham tested. He bridged
for the faith and obedience of his seed from the
seen to the unseen, and made the way as safsas
solid ground.
SUGGESTIONS.
/. God asks Abraham for his son. He really
hra han in n
really offers himself, and the test of love is
plete God asks you for wife, child, property,
pleasure. He wants not yours, but you. You
His in proportion to your readiness to hold
these things subject to Him. The yielding of
them at His request is really the demonstration
of selfsurrsnder. Self-surrender is the divine
form Of love.
2 abraham rose up early" Wise servant.
Promptness to meet a demand of Gods makes
accession easier. Duty deferred drags. Eager-
ness to obey commands grace to fulfill In all
great issues he that hestates is lost
3. Near God. near the fire." It is His meth
cd Of refining character. The radiant in glory
are ''those which came out of great tribulation;
therefore are they before the throne Of God"
Not every calamity is a judgment for sin, nor
every great sorrow the reward of iniquity. God
may be proving you, and in the very process of
| proof preparing you for higher enjoyment and
blessedness Comp. II Cor. iv. 1918; Rom. viii
| is; Peter j. 6, ~
4. "And the angel of the Lord said" Just in
careful about the measure of proof as of its
| nature and tmeliness. When it is enough the
assurance comes, Nov know" and then re-
ward. He will not fail for help at the right
| time.
8. 1.-THE Lord will provide" II that is his
| business, and you have done your full duty.
| Providence, to some people, is an excuse for
| shiftessness. The Lord would not have pro-
vided if Abraham had left Isaac at home and
| had trusted to Providence" 'Man's extremity
is Gods opportunity but the extremity is not q
| shifting point determined by pioas Incidence.
| Do your best and utmost. then tne Lord will
| provide.
| SPECIAL APPLICATIONS.
| l. Life P-obation-The great end of this
| life is to test and prove our moral quality, our
| fitness for Gods use hereafter.
| 2. Isaac q Type of Christ--In his spirit and
sacrifice in his substitution and self-giving, be
| was like Christ
(, 3. God Gives Back Our Isaacs-He does no.
| take them in anger. and in some grand way they
become ours more fully than before. What vol
| once bind to the altar becomes yours as never
| before
a. His Name Jehovah jireh-Among tn
names of the Lord this stands high. An,
the Lord who provided the ram was our Lore
Jesus Christ who Will provide for us.
| g. Substitution by Sacrafice-This great doc
trine is here taught-and that another life cou
take the place of mans